Are you superstitious? There’s a good chance you are or that you know someone who is. About 25% of the population is prone to believe in and act on superstitions. This means you hold an irrational belief that an object, action or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.

I started thinking about this as a result of something a friend of mine said recently. He was casually telling me about a ticket that he had just bought for the upcoming lottery when he said, “I hope I win. Knock on wood!” That common superstitious phrase is meant to bring one good luck. Some of those who believe this particular superstition just say the words, while true believers may actually seek out a piece of wood to physically knock on.

Let’s have some fun today by looking at five of the most common superstitions promoting good or bad luck and how each is believed to have originated:

1. Walking Under a Ladder Brings Bad Luck
Since the ladder takes the form of a triangle, it’s said to have religious origins because it signified the Holy Trinity. Walking under a ladder was considered blasphemy and, as a result, brought you bad luck. However, if you believe this parable, there’s good news: It’s also said that walking backwards under that same ladder will undo the damage. Not to mention, it’s a lot safer to avoid walking under a ladder too.

2. Breaking a Mirror Brings 7 Years of Bad LuckThis superstition has its roots in days of yore when certain cultures believed that your reflection was a representation of your soul. As a result, breaking a mirror meant that you were causing damage to or corrupting your soul. The reason you have bad luck for seven years is often credited to the Roman belief that life renewed itself every seven years.

3. Carrying a Rabbit’s Foot Brings Good LuckCarrying a rabbit’s foot is said to bring you good luck, which is kind of ironic, as it didn’t work out so well for the rabbit who was the original owner of that foot. This superstition is said to have originated around 500 BC and is tied to how the presence of rabbits on your farm or in your garden would help make the land fertile and more productive. Present-day believers can be identified because they often hang a rabbit’s foot from the rear view mirror of their car.

4. Crossing Your Fingers Brings Good LuckThis is one we’ve all done whether we believe it works or not. It’s intended to bring you good luck. It was originally used by Christians to identify other Christians and to signify the sign of the cross in an attempt to ward off evil spirits and bad luck in general. We still do this today and, in cases where we really want to improve our odds, we often cross our legs and eyes too.

5. Crossing the Path of a Black Cat Brings Bad LuckThis folklore goes back to the Middle Ages when it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black cats. Since black cats signified evil and sorcery, crossing ones path was a bad omen of things to come.

Even though there are numerous superstitions that people react to, these are what I believe to be five of the most common. By the way, I heard that if you don’t give articles about superstitions a 5-star rating below, you’ll gain weight or have car trouble. Of course, I’m not sure if that’s true, but just to be safe, I wouldn’t risk it!